Inspector Ian Frey is on a holiday at his uncle Maurice place in the country and he is enjoying this short break during Christmas. The an unexpected visit ruin the cozy family event, at least for a moment. But in the end, everything turns out fine.

This short story is set between The Strings of Murder and A Fever of the Blood and is not really that necessary to read since it's just a family conflict story. But if you like the first book could this story be nice to read since it shows that Ian's father is not always disappointed in him and that he actually sometimes takes Ian's side. ( )